Tennis: Federer eclipses Blake to make US Open semifinals

NEW YORK - Top seed Roger Federer lost his first set of the 2006 US Open tennis championships but remained on course for his third consecutive title with a four-set quarterfinal triumph over resolute American James Blake today.

Federer's hard-fought 7-6 6-0 6-7 6-4 triumph over Blake moves the Swiss maestro into the semifinals against Russian Nikolay Davydenko and marks the 10th straight grand slam the world's best player has reached the last four.

"I really thought that first set was unbelievable. From both sides," Federer said after the two hour 47 minute match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"You make mistakes and he plays well and momentum shifts and all of a sudden it's a tough match."

After winning the opening tiebreaker, spoiling three set points held by Blake, Federer looked poised to make the American his fifth successive straight sets victim, cruising to take the second set in only 22 minutes.

"That's just an old fashioned whuppin' in the second set," Blake said.

Driven on by a boisterous support, Blake battled back from a break down early in the third set but looked beaten when he lost serve to trail 5-3 and allowed Federer to serve for the match.

A sizzling forehand crosscourt winner in the next game got the break back and Blake sent the match to another tiebreak.

"To a certain extent I take pride in the way that I fought," said Blake, who had failed to win a set against Federer in his four previous meetings.

Federer saved four set points and held match point at 9-8 but Blake saved with a backhand winner down the line and took the next two points to force a fourth set.

The Swiss again looked set to sail to victory, going up by two breaks for a 5-1 lead before Blake hit back with a break of his own.

Federer finally dismissed Blake on his third match point of the game when the American dumped a backhand into the net.

Seventh seed Davydenko lost the first two sets of his quarterfinal with German Tommy Haas before battling back for a 4-6 6-7 6-3 6-4 6-4 triumph earlier today.

But Federer is playing incredibly well and it would take a super-human effort to keep the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion from winning his ninth career grand slam.

Playing before his hometown crowd at a sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium, Blake fought Federer gamely but remained winless against the Swiss in five career matches.

Blake broke Federer's serve at 4-5 in the third set to stay in the match and won the tiebreaker 11-9 after the Swiss uncharacteristically sprayed several forehands wide.

The tiebreaker marked the first set that Blake had ever won against Federer, but the champion responded with two early breaks in the final set before settling in to win the match.

Federer blasted 59 winners in the two-hour, 47-minute contest, while Blake managed only 40.

In the other men's semifinal on Saturday, American Andy Roddick, the 2003 champion, will face Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who pulled the upset of the tournament on Wednesday when he ousted number two seed Rafael Nadal.

The women's semifinals will be tomorrow when top seed Amelie Mauresmo faces number three Maria Sharapova, while number two Justine Henin-Hardenne takes on Serbian 19th seed Jelena Jankovic.

The 28-year-old Haas played superbly in the opening two sets against Davydenko, looking as if the fifth-set tiebreaks in his two previous matches would have no impact on his play.

But Haas began to lose steam in the third set, giving Davydenko an incentive to keep grinding it out in his bid to reach the Open semi-finals for the first time.

After trading breaks at the start of the deciding set, Davydenko broke twice to lead 5-2 but Haas saved a match point and broke back and trimmed the deficit to 5-4.

Haas then had two break points to level at 5-5 but the 25-year-old Davydenko held on to win the three-hour, 42-minute marathon.

"I think I was lucky," said Davydenko. "But it was tough, I was 5-2 (up in the final set) then break point and 5-4 and I didn't know what I could do, but I am happy to be in the semi-finals."

Haas credited Davydenko for not giving up.

"He's not going to go away, obviously," said Haas. "He doesn't weigh much, he doesn't have to carry too much around the courts. Got to give it up, he plays a solid game.

Davydenko now takes on Federer, against whom he plays reasonably well despite losing all seven of their career matches. The Russian has taken a set from Federer in four of those matches.

"You need to think you can beat him," said Davydenko.

- REUTERS